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5 dangers of using Google Images without permission

So you are in a rush, have very little time, know that your stock photo credits need to be purchased and you only need one photo. Quickly you do a Google Image, find a photo that would work for your blog post. You decide to upload the image to your blog and walk away from desk feeling accomplished as your deadline was met. The five minutes you saved by using a Google Image will come back to haunt you and cost you more than a few stock photo credits. Read on and find out why.

Google Image use requires permission – nothing is for free

There are plagiarism laws for using others peoples text or ideas. Similar laws protect the unauthorized use of images. If you did not create it, you do not have the right to use it. If you want to use text or an image, permission has to be obtain from the ORIGINAL author or in the case of images, the original designer or photographer. If you hold the belief that what is on the internet is free, this belief, which is only a belief will land you in more problems than you would think. Lawsuits are one issue but there are other issues that will also follow if you use Google Images without permission.

Cease and desist will be followed by a lawsuit

Photographers are using more online tools to find offenders of image stealing. We hate to use that term, stealing, but using images without permission is stealing. When a photographer finds their image on a website, an ad or a blog post, they will start the friendly process of requesting that you remove the image. If you choose not to honor their request, a Cease and Desist order will follow. If you again choose to ignore the creators request, a lawsuit will follow. There are many examples documented online of an artist or photographer suing for unauthorized use of images. The lawsuit can be costly and even more so a headache. Is it really worth it when a stock photo costs a few cents if not a few bucks?

Google Penguin could penalize your blog or website

Photographers are embedding metadata on their photos so they can track where their photos are used and gain internet search engine in the event their work is used and they do not catch it for a little while. If you grab an online photo, download it, then upload it to your online assets, Google will read the embedded information and see it to be duplicate content. If you buy a generic stock photo Google duplicate metadata will not be shown on your stock photo. This penalty from Google Penguin will only happen when you use an image that was already posted online. Google Penguin has the power to decrease and drop your ranking on their search engine so that your digital assets rank lower than before. Is a free photo worth that risk?

Embarrassing and detrimental to your reputation

If a lawsuit is exposed think of the financial damage but also think of the reputation damage. When it all comes down to it, your personal brand or your business only has its reputation. Damaging that reputation will damage your profits and in some cases could close your doors or dissolve your readership. With social media helping people spread the word, do you really want to take that risk? You can work harder to regain money lost to lawyers but it is very hard to change a damaged reputation.

Discredits your blog and brand

People read blog posts, watch social media feeds and follow you based on the credibility you have earned. It will be pretty hard to maintain your credibility either as a person, a brand or a business if it is discovered that you ‘stole' an image. Intellectual property in the digital age of ideas, creations and online assets is important and for many it is how they make their living. If you discredit your online image, you might as well kiss your readership good bye. Gaining that credit back is harder than making your first million and there is no guarantee that you will obtain that credit again.

Unauthorized image use applies to online and offline use

If you find the perfect image online and think that using the image in print media will protect you, think again. Any use whether it be online or offline of an image or design that you do not have permission to use, will result in some letters from the creator if not their lawyer.

There is no reason to take the risk of unauthorized use – none

With hundreds of cheap stock photo agencies offering images for as little as 28 cents an image or in the case of a single image purchase, maybe $3 USD or even $10 USD is stealing online photos and designs worth it?

Stock photo agencies exist solely for the purpose of selling the rights to image and designs. There is no reason or need to take images online without permission just to save time or money. If you do find an image online and cannot find the image on any of the stock photo websites, seek permission from the original creator. A third party user does not have the legal ability to sell or authorize use for someone's creative work. The only person who provide permission (and get it in writing) is the original designer or photographer. If you can not find the person, then you still do not have the right to use the photo.

4. Dreamstime

The lowest price on Dreamstime is 20¢ for one royalty free stock photo. They also have a free photo gallery when you sign up at Dreamstime. Dreamstime has a very flexible buying system that will get you to the 20¢ per photo price easily.Their sign up is easy and fast.

3. Fotolia

The lowest price on Fotolia is 14¢ for one royalty free stock photo. Add a free image a gallery, Microsoft add-on and the Fotolia Desktop, and you have a great deal. Sign up for a Fotolia membership now and start downloading stock photos for 14¢ and use their many online resources.

2. Depositphotos

The lowest price per photo on Depositphotos is 10¢ per royalty free stock photo. They are currently running a free trial for all new members where you can download 35 photos (5 photos per day for 7 days) and then choose your buying plan for more 10¢ images. Signing up for Depositphotos will bring you lots of advantages and membership is for free.

1. Photospin

The cheapest stock photo agency on a price per photo comparison is PhotoSpin where you can end up paying less than 1¢ per stock photo. The image library is large, over 2.5 million images, they have been selling stock photos since 1999 and it is no surprise that the website is run by designers, photographers and website specialists who want to make stock photography affordable.

Find out more about unauthorized use of images and make sure you are doing everything right. Ignorance is not a defense, nor will a photographer appreciate your ignorance when they see you using their photos without permission. If you are a photographer and want to increase protection for your photos, check out Stipple, an online and mobile app that helps you protect and watch your photos online.

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About the author

I am a publisher and entrepreneur in the stock imagery field. I focus in providing knowledge and solutions for buyers, contributors and agencies, aiming at contributing to the growth and development of the industry. I am the founder and editor of Stock Photo Press, one of the largest networks of online magazines in the industry. I am the founder of Microstock Expo, the only conference dedicated to the microstock segment. I created several software solutions in stock photography, like the PixelRockstar WordPress Plugin. Plus I am a recurrent speaker at Photokina Official Stage, and an industry consultant at StockPhotoInsight. I am passionate about technology, marketing and visual imagery.

1 Comments

You could quote an image, with proper mention of the source, like you quote passages in books. That’s no violation of copyright.
The emphasis in this article on intellectual property defeats the interest of free sharing of ideas, which is at the heart of the internet itself. If you do not want to get copied, don’t go to the internet. You may try to earn money there, but do not hamper our freedom to use the internet as a free resource. It’s a new kind of economy there.